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Protecting cetaceans in the Lesser Antilles: regional cooperation for marine biodiversity

Caribbean Cetacean Society

The Caribbean Cetacean Society positions itself as a regional tool and essential support service that coordinates cooperation, research, education, and cetacean conservation across the Caribbean islands. It is committed to establishing a framework for sustainable and equitable cooperation among local governments, partner organizations, and local communities to work together to preserve these shared species. By strengthening local capacities, bridging gaps in scientific knowledge, and promoting the creation of marine protected areas, it aims to facilitate an integrated approach to whale and dolphin conservation in the region. Simultaneously, its investment in youth education aims to raise awareness and prepare future generations to become the marine conservation ambassadors of tomorrow.

Context

Dolphin Pani Frontiers

The Caribbean Cetacean Society (CCS), founded in 2020 in Martinique, addresses the growing threats facing cetaceans in the Caribbean (pollution, collisions, policy fragmentation). Its Dolphin Pani Frontiers project proposes a collective response through scientific research, public awareness, and regional cooperation to strengthen knowledge, cetacean protection, and shared governance of marine ecosystems in the Lesser Antilles.

Countries: Montserrat, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada
Sector of intervention:
Climate, Environment, Energy
Guild Endowment: €113,348
Project cost: €141,698
Project sponsor: Caribbean Cetacean Society

Funder(s):
• Coreom

Project objectives

Improving the protection of cetaceans and their habitats through the collection of scientific data
Strengthening local capacities on marine conservation practices
Encouraging cross-border governance for the harmonized and effective management of shared marine ecosystems

Activities

Scientific missions to collect data at sea
Training for local stakeholders in scientific data collection and inter-island cooperation
Workshops and meetings between regional stakeholders in cetacean conservation

Direct beneficiaries

Researchers, local stakeholders and island communities of the Lesser Antilles mobilized around cetacean conservation and shared marine governance

Expected results

Updated data on cetacean populations
Local actors trained in five territories
First steps towards regional and cross-border marine governance

A dual support and funding mechanism for overseas civil society organizations, the CORÉOM program – Overseas Regional Cooperation – encourages regional and international cooperation dynamics among associations based in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion. Financially supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Fondation de France, CORÉOM is implemented by La Guilde, with a set of territorial networks and relay partners in the five territories.